5 Things You Need To Know About Beach Weddings!

If you don’t live on or near a beach, but want to get married on one, there are 5 things you need to know about beach weddings! So before you get your toes in the sand, here’s some tips for smooth sailing to help you plan your big day!

1. Flowers. Lots of florists near the beaches are going to charge a ridiculous amount, because they can. Save some money and have a florist at home do your flowers with fake/silk flowers instead. If you have to have fresh flowers for your wedding, you may want to try a DIY option. Most beachside floral shops have wholesale florist shops that are open to the public. Keep it simple and stick with one or two flower types, and you could easily have gorgeous flowers for less than $100!

2. Plan for a storm. You can plan your wedding date, but you can’t plan the weather. But, you can plan for the weather! Most beachside storms blow in and blow out pretty quickly. Inform your guests ahead of time that the wedding is planned for a specific time, but that it may have to be pushed up for as much as 30 minutes for a storm. Most guests would prefer to stall the wedding for a bit instead of standing in the rain!

3. Keep the decor minimal. Let’s face it, the more you want to decorate with, the more you will be hauling across the country, or the more you will have to purchase when you get there. Some kind of focal piece like a wedding arch, or tiki torches lining the walkway is a great way to separate your portion of the beach off for your wedding! Remember, beaches can be windy. Very windy. Make sure your decor is secured well. Bring weights or some sort of anchoring device with you. Arches don’t stand up in the sand very well on their own, and having something to weigh them down can be lifesaving! The beach is your decor, don’t overdo it.

4. Research beach guidelines. Once you’ve chosen which beach you want to have your wedding at, make sure you look up all the rules for that specific beach. Some beaches require reservations for weddings, so your date or time may not be available. Most public beaches don’t allow for reservations, so you will need to plan around the public. By 5 or 6 p.m., most beach-goers have cleared out, so that’s a good time to plan when using a public beach. If you want to use tiki torches, or grill afterward, you need to make sure the beach will allow open flames! It’s better to know ahead of time, than to have your celebration ruined by last minute knowledge!

5. Keep holidays in mind. A LOT of people go to the beach for holidays and weekends. If you plan your wedding for one of these dates, you will most likely encounter hotel room shortage, higher travel prices, and limited beach availability. Spring break, Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day are all times to avoid planning your beach wedding for the best results!

There are a lot of things that could ruin your perfect day when you plan a wedding away from home, but not if you’re prepared! Remember to always make the best of each situation, and let each mistake turn into a memory. Utilize these 5 things you need to know about beach weddings to make your wedding as stress-free as possible.